I Got Issues *

Perry’s idiotic remarks are over the top

Texas Governor Rick Perry has shown us in recent weeks why he is NOT presidential material.  Simply put, he isn’t very bright and often says stupid things.  I know, it’s hard to tell him apart from the rest of the GOP presidential wannabes, but with his comment on CNN’s State of The Union program yesterday — it will no longer be difficult to tell this idiot from the others.

“These kids made a mistake…..”  he said.  Then went on to say, “But to call it a criminal act, I think, is over the top.”  Seriously?  So it appears that when a washed up politician is scrambling to stay relevant and keep the media lights shining in his direction, he only need say something totally counter to good sense and decency and sell out, all for a piddly 5 more minutes.  Alas, another Republican backlash.  (Has Perry learned nothing during his previous 15 minutes?)

Suggesting that the rules of engagement are made for others but that “these kids” simply used poor judgement is offensive.  It is an affront to the common sense of the American people, not to mention the tens of thousands of active and retired military that played by those strict set of rules.  Mr. Perry isn’t stupid, and as a former Air Force pilot, I am certain he is well aware that defiling human remains is a crime in our military, as well as being sinful to any God-loving person — but to suggest that the U.S. Marines’ investigation of this disgusting and moronic act is due to President Obama and his administration, well there, my legions of followers, is the proof that this man doesn’t get it and is willing to sell his soul for a shot at the office he so denigrates.

Rick Perry and his mindless acolytes need only recall what they felt during the fumbled Battle of Mogadishu in the early ’90′s when we witnessed the dragging and defiling of two U.S. soldiers.  That disrespect for human remains for the sake of war was sickening then, nearly 20 years ago,  just as it was when the Abu Ghraib crimes were committed six years ago and this most recent mess with soldiers urinating on corpses.   (Hmmmm.  Abu Ghraib….. I don’t recall anyone suggesting then President Bush back off and allow the 17 soldiers that were removed from duty to ‘go free.’)

So let’s stop the political bullshit and pandering to the extreme among your followers that actually think it was ‘okay’ for these soldiers to do what they did and that the Defense Department should back down in their investigation — continue to hold our military to the highest standards and honor those that follow the rules.  Let’s stop making excuses for these grown men and women who only apologize for getting caught and show no remorse for their actions.  Let these soldiers have their day in courts-martial and if a crime was committed, hold them accountable for their actions.

Idiots

And so you have to ask, “How many Republicans does it take to screw in a lightbulb?”  The answer is later in this post — I just needed to get your attention.  What a bunch of bumbling idiots the Grand Ol’ Party has turned into.  There is plenty of dysfunction to go around as it relates to Washington partisan politics, but the Republican party simply cannot get their shit together and are in disagreement amongst themselves.  Did they think the stand-off for the past 5 days was going to produce an outcome other than the backlash they received?  A small block of morons from the T-Party voting against the majority of both houses and sending a message to over 160 million working Americans that MORE would be held for FICA after the new year.  Yes, a mixed up, confused message that in effect would raise taxes and go against a tenet of that party’s platform.  Unbelievable.

We started off the day with the leader among them, Senator John Boehner telling the American people why the two-month extension wasn’t good enough for the president’s signature, despite an overwhelming 89 – 10 Senate vote.  (And yes, he was one of the 89!)  We ended the day with a 180 and him pushing through the measure during a caucus phone call and admitting that the idiotic political tactic ”may not have been politically the smartest thing in the world.”  Man is he sharp, guess that’s why he’s his party’s top dog.

Not sure whether to laugh or cry, but the disappointment in the members that make up both houses of Congress would not go away either way.  As for how many Republicans it takes to screw in a light bulb — I have no clue.  I still can’t’ figure out how they get into the lightbulb!

Mr. Speaker — Get Your House in Order

What a pathetic show of leadership from House Speaker John Boehner these past several days.  Taken to task by T-Party Freshmen who don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground, Boehner has lost effectiveness as party leader as there is disunity in the Republican party.

What a shame.  At a time when America needs to rally behind its political leaders, the Republican party has let us down again.  And come first paycheck in January, that will hit 160 million of us Americans in the pocket book as our pay will be lighter, thanks to their childish politics. Their task was simple:  keep the existing payroll tax cut in place.  They simply could not get it done.

The past several months has shown us the true colors of the GOP as we’ve seen the sorry group of wannabes vie for their party’s presidential nod and now we’ve had to stand by and watch as the party implodes on itself from INSIDE the beltway.  The dysfunction in this group is sickening and its members should be ashamed.  Use your gavel Senator Boehner, and ask for order in the House.

Welcome Home Troops

President Obama has accomplished plenty for US war veterans since taking office, from repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to improving veteran’s benefits and initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of veterans and their spouses.  But perhaps his greatest effort was keeping his campaign promise to end the sham war in Iraq and to exit that country, bringing our military might home.

The US military lowered the American flag at the Iraqi base today and officially fulfilled on that promise as fewer than 5,000 troops on two bases remain in country.  That down from as much as 170,000 troops and 500 bases — it must’ve been an amazing logistics effort.  Now we can finally start to work with the vets that come home — many of whom questioned why we were even there — and help them adjust back to life state-side.  We may never be able to help them fully understand why nearly 4,500 of their brothers and sisters had to die, and why hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were killed, but we must assist them in getting back to a sense of normalcy in their lives.

So welcome back troops.  Can’t explain why the Bush/Cheney debacle that started almost nine years ago as “Shock and Awe” was nothing more than “Crock and Flaw,” we’re just glad you’re home.  Happy holidays to you and your family, and hope that 2012 brings you good health, great success and God’s blessings.

And thank you President Obama.

Just don’t tell mom!

If you have children, then you’ll likely be able to relate.  As I was ready to back out of the driveway this morning on the way to take my 13-year old daughter to school, it happened.  Yes, I dropped the F-bomb.  Not sure what came over me…..maybe it was the fact that we were running 5 minutes late or it could have been that the snowy/icy buildup on my windshield had to be scraped and I was ill-equipped.

Those things added to the fateful moment but the epicenter of my frustration was that darned furniture delivery truck that was moving slowly down our street and slowing as it got to my house.  I’m in reverse trying to rush to make up those 5 minutes, and waiting for the feeling in my hands to come back and this idiot is slowing as he sees me inching back.  It’s not that my car was invisible — it’s dark out at 7:35 and my car is lit up like a Christmas tree.  (Like the way I worked the holidays into my post about the F-bomb?  Nice.)

So now he’s at a stop at the foot of my driveway as I’ve got my neck craned thinking he’ll continue by.  I’m thinking to myself, “who is getting a delivery at this hour? ”  And then it happened.  It just flew out of my mouth as natural as taking my next breath.  I didn’t scream.  I din’t make any hand gestures.  No popping veins in my neck.  I simply uttered “what the f*%k man?”  And I realized it just as I said it.  I stopped and looked at my wide-eyed, innocent baby and just as calmly said, “pardon my language sweetheart, but this guy stopped and I got upset.”

Not a word.  The truck backed up, as though he heard me, and I backed out of the driveway and was on my way.  Total silence for the first mile of our 3-mile drive to the carpool house, except for the first block as we pulled away and I wondered out loud (like a babbling idiot) if we were expecting a delivery — actually asking out loud if mom had ordered something, told me be ready for it, and I just forgot that she told me.  (Like that has ever happened!)  My mind was racing as to what she might be thinking.  Oh sure, I had similar moments with her 3 older brothers — remarkably, those didn’t happen until a bit later, like around the age of 16 or 17 for them — but this was my BABY.  The one who worships the ground I walk on (or at least I like to think she does).  Oh yeah, this was killing me.  Finally had to break the silence and  apologized again for using that word and admitted that it wasn’t appropriate, telling her I must’ve lost my cool.

She either was still shocked and disappointed or really couldn’t care less, but she played it cool and quiet, then reached over and turned on the radio.  And I know the question that is burning inside of you right now, and NO, we weren’t late for the carpool.

If at first you don’t succeed …….

Try again!  News flash for Herman Cain — “It worked for Newt Gingrich.”  Of course I’m speaking of having baggage in your closet and thinking you can run for the highest office in the land. (Did you sit back several months ago, knowing you’ve had sexual harassment charges and settlements in your past, along with a long-standing extramarital affair and think you could run for the GOP nomination and not be found out?)  Funny, you don’t appear to be stupid.

But back to my point.  Look at Newt — he left public service a dozen years ago under a cloud of controversy, involved in scandals around his ethics.  Okay, we got it then, typical wealthy and out-of-touch politician who was driven by greed.  Then he impressed us with extramarital affairs, cheating on his first wife and leaving her as she was getting help to treat her cancer.  Fucking scumbag.  But wait, it gets better, he cheated on wife number 2 (the ‘cheated with’ from the previous scenario) and left her for the current wife.  Asshole.  (Isn’t there a three-strike rule?)  Then he prostitutes himself by taking close to $2 million in fees from Freddie Mac, a public government-sponsored entity — after swearing that their leadership should be jailed for poor decision making as the Obama administration bailed them out last year.  Oh Mr. Gingrich, unlike Mr. Cain, you DO look stupid.  (Maybe you and #3 should write a book on this subject, or maybe a documentary is in order.)

But the far right, lead by so-called ‘good Christians’ and ‘people of God,’ are behind this man, and they can get behind you too.  Just continue your ways of preaching against the ills of man, like cheating on your wife and ill-gotten riches off the back of the working man, and you’ll be loved again too.  The GOP has a short attention span and is selective on their recollection of the virtues that make up a decent, upstanding man.  You have a great future ahead of you.

Same ol’ Lions

Had to walk away from the TV set before I threw something at it — the TV is fine, the content sucked.  Watching the Lions/Packers game and not very happy with the result.  

The Lions are showing us why they were the laughing stock of the NFL for the past decade — undisciplined play which results in many penalties.  And by walking away, I re-focus this day of thanks by making sure to keep my blood pressure in check. 

Don’t get me wrong, this is a game that on paper, Green Bay is destined to win.  But the Lions, MY Lions, owned the first half statistically.  They lead in time of possession, total yards, and one other category which is why the Pack was up — interceptions.  So you hold out hope for the second half, which is where Detroit has shined in past weeks, but alas, the old Lions appeared and, well…… now I’m here writing this post.

Quiet …. Can you Hear it?

It's an American revolution and it's happening all over the country.  Yes, the American people, motivated by the Arab Spring, are taking to the street in peaceful demonstration.  No, it's not in an effort to depose President Obama.  The #OccupyWallStreet uprising has to do with an American underclass that is tired of the bullshit going on in this country where the gap between the wealthy and poor is widening, causing an erosion of the middle class. And how sad that this do-nothing Congress lead by misguided Republicans that pander to the Tea Party won't do the will of the American people.

Their mission is simple: peaceful assembly against economic inequality, corporate greed and corruption in our national government.  This mission makes total sense — just take a look around you, around your extended family, around your community and around the nation — shit is messed up.  People in this country are living below poverty levels and children go to school hungry, yet we're spending billions to rebuild nations we bombed and lining the pockets of lobbyists, and the likes of Dick Cheney and his cronies from Halliburton.  We bailed out Wall Street bankers and their boards (read that as rich, white men with connections) with billions of dollars only to watch them make tens of millions in bonus and salary — WITHOUT REFORMING WHAT WAS BROKEN.  Yes, shit is messed up.  (This is a family blog and I'm reeeeeally working hard at keeping the language clean.)

So this isn't a referendum on Obama. From what I can tell, it is an indictment on the apathy and seeming indifferenc of our politicians at the national level.  It's an indictment on social injustice and the disconnect between both Housed of Congress and the people they represent.  

It's easier to find media coverage on the uprising in Syria — which is a moral disgrace and a whole other post — than it is to find coverage on the American uprising.  But it's there.  Google it, dig for it and read up.  Ask why thousands peaceful demonstrators were 'tricked' into moving from NYC onto the Brooklyn Bridge, where 700 of them were promptly arrested, guessing because it was easier to coral them on the bridge.  

Look at their faces — this is group of Americans, black, white, and mostly young recent college grads. And listen …… hear it?  It's the sound of another revolution.

Psssst. It’s in Africa!

Surprised that we haven't heard a peep out of the dozen or so GOP candidates for president regarding the apparent toppling of the Libyan dictator Qaddafi?  Why do you think that is?  So many of the GOP wanted us to do more earlier, but the "troops on the ground" way of thinking from 10 years ago is what got this country into the mess we're in. 

Guessing that there isn't anything for this lame group to criticize so they're staying low.  Good thinking.  It's either that or they simply need to brush up on geography AND foreign policy.  (Take it from Sara Palin — it's best to keep your mouth shut when you don't know what you're talking about!)

Regardless, the silence really is golden.  For as long as it will last.

Why is GOP and Tea Party Quiet Now?

Where are the loudmouth idiots from these two parties now that their predictions about the world markets have failed? All we heard as these assholes held the country hostage for months was "don't believe this administration, nothing bad will happen" related to the debt ceiling politics they played. Freakin' morons. And now the same groups have some nerve to point fingers across the isle. Unbelievable and no wonder our political leaders are the laughing stock on the world stage.

This isn't a small problem and at the same time, it isn't insurmountable. We need leaders that have integrity and great concern for their fellow man, which means the baton needs to be passed to the next generation. Imagine a new batch of legislators from current 20-something grads who care more about the environment and the well-being of their neighbors than perks of the position and screwed up party ideology.

I would support that.  Would you?